graytidy

Occasionally people get to the head of the xray machine tunnel and are still packing and stowing things. When this happens I'm not shy about jumping the queue and just dropping my bag ahead of theirs.

This happened today at SEA precheck, but the lady in front of me (not the one blocking the machine) gave me a "look" like "just try it bud" as I sidestepped her, so I went back to my position.

I don't really have any doubts about bypassing the queue blocker, but is it inappropriate to bypass the other people who are being "polite" by waiting?

Unfortunately for the woman she got the random "beep" in the magnetometer and got selected for backscatter, so maybe she saved me from that.

I'm writing this from the Delta lounge, and am reminded sometimes in the buffet line there is a queue generated by people serving themselves from the initial hot trays. If I'm at the head of the line and I only want things after them I have no qualms about walking past them. But if there were people in front of me I probably wouldn't (well maybe I would if there was just one). If there is an entry line but the actual buffet is mostly empty (common because of people bunching up for the hot items) I'll often bypass the line and grab what I want. Maybe I am an ***hole.

jrl767

jumping any line two or three or four places is way more A-like than doing so when you're the first one being held up by the not-fully-ready or not-yet-decided people

graytidy

That sounds right, but I will be tempted if they are all still packing and aren't tunnel ready.

OskiBear

Which is why more and more airports have the TSA checkpoints set up like the ones in Europe, where you have a station and put stuff in bins to push onto the belt. This way, someone taking more time only holds up the use of their particular station, but not the entire line.

Loren Pechtel

If I'm not ready (and I'm usually slow--I normally have my wife's stuff and electronics to unpack) I do not feel you're doing anything wrong in going around me.

Doppy

The worst are people who jump the line but then aren't ready. I've had that happen a bunch lately with FAs who have jumped 2-3 person lines to get in front of me, then act like they've never been through security before - slow, confused, setting off the metal detector

CDTraveler

Yes.

In a fair number of places, you try that and you will get told off quite thoroughly by others in line.

lamphs

No. I have no qualms about jumping the Pre line if others are not ready. Nor do I mind someone jumping ahead of me if I am a bit slow.

WeekendTraveler

I have no problem with your going ahead in the security line, since it makes everything more efficient, but the TSA staff in some airports seems to refuse to let people through the X-ray machine until the person’s bags are inside the scanning portion of the conveyor belt.

At the lounge, it would be best to just ask, “Mind if I…”? I would always say “please go ahead” and think that you’re very polite and nice.

Similarly, I don’t understand why, if you’re in group 1 and there is dual-lane boarding, it’s perhaps frowned upon to go ahead and get in the boarding lane before boarding starts. I see people do that sometimes and I think it’s great; it saves people from having to mill around in a disorganized group. Sorry for the hijack.

born sleepy

ATL has these in the pre-check portal, but the "ANALOGIC" (wow, really, y'all never focus-grouped that name?) scanners are horribly slow and jam often. I hate them. But otherwise, yes, this is a good solution.

miamiflyer8

ATL Precheck has still one or two of the analog scanners left, I had an old lady who took forever taking stuff out her bag (what on earth for?, I saw DL GM on her bp so not exactly a kettle) so I simply went in front of her. She muttered "Kinda rude..", I ignored her and kept going. Once thru the metal detector, I saw other pax skip her as well.

graytidy

I tried this on a Delta LAS>SEA a couple days ago. There was a woman standing off to the side of the priority lane but clearly as close as possible to the sign. I walked passed her into the actual roped off line, she gave me a "aren't you precious" smirk and lined up behind me. Once other people saw this mini-line forming they started lining up also behind her.

Turns out this isn't so great on Delta as they seem to want to board all the pre-boards through the priority lane also. In LAS this is no problem, lots of space in the lanes to walk past but you couldn't do this in SEA with their narrower lanes.

So unless Delta switches to pre-boards through the non-priority line I don't see this as something I'd like to repeat.

Happy ending(s): I didn't end up as her row mate in 1st, and she got a Porche ride on arrival to SEA.

Annalisa12

If it is free I'll go through even if someone in front of me is still stuffing around.

OTD

I'll say something like, "Are you ready to go?" (when they're clearly not) and they'll usually tell me to go ahead.

teddybear99

Sorry, but it has been a few years flying (more than 6) due to my wife's illness. I remember being told to put all my keys, phones and electronics in my laptop bag so I wouldn't have to "empty my pockets" to go through security. The computer also could stay in my bag. Has that changed today?

I do remember that when flying through JFK, I had a brand-new laptop in the box that I was bringing as a birthday present hidden in my carry-on. I went through FLL with it like that with no problem, but at JFK, they pulled it to the side and had me open it up, so they could see it. My wife was then made aware of my "surprise" gift for my son, and the LH flight JFK-MNL was not one of peace and quiet.